The present invention is directed generally to mobile antenna mounting assemblies, and more specifically to a mobile telephone antenna mounting assembly which assembly holds the antenna radiating element in place while the vehicle is moving, yet permits the antenna radiating element to be repeatedly moved between its upraised position and its down position without the antenna radiating element becoming loosened.
With the advent of cellular mobile telephones, the need has arisen for antennas for such telephones which mount on the exterior window surface of a vehicle. Typically, window-mounted antennas include an outside antenna module adhered to the outside of a window glass on which a generally vertical antenna element is mounted and an inside module on the inside of the glass in registration with the outside module which contains the circuitry necessary for proper operation of the antenna.
It is customary for the separate antenna element to be attached to the outside mounting module by means of a mounting screw. This mounting screw is loosened to permit the antenna element to be either removed or pivoted between an upraised position where the antenna element is substantially vertical and a down position where the axis of the antenna element is proximate to and generally parallel to the window glass surface. It is common for the telephone user to move an antenna element from its upraised position to the down position to protect the antenna element from damage. This movement is typically required before entering a car wash because the rotating cleaning elements of the car wash may contact and severely damage the antenna element if it is in its upraised position. The mobile telephone user must then exit from his car and undo or move the antenna element down from the upraised position prior to entering the car wash and then exit from his car once more after exiting the car wash to move the antenna element to its upraised position. The latter task requires that the user keep a screwdriver readily accessible in his vehicle. The repeated tightening and loosening of the antenna mounting screw may lead to an overall loosening of the antenna mounting screw, thereby increasing the likelihood that the antenna element will fall down while the user is driving the vehicle and possibly render the antenna inoperable.
The present invention is directed to a mobile telecommunications antenna mounting assembly which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages in that it secures the antenna from disengaging because of vehicle vibrations but also allows for quick and easy pivotal movement of the antenna between the upraised position and a down position without the need for loosening the mounting screw of the antenna element.
The antenna mounting assembly of the present invention comprises a base element having two generally parallel projecting sidewalls which define a channel therebetween which receives an antenna element therein. Each sidewall has a generally circular inner portion which permits the unrestricted rotation of an antenna mounting screw therein and a non-circular outer portion which substantially prevents or restrains the movement of the antenna screw therein by engaging the antenna screw. The outer portion of one bore has a generally frusto-conical inner engagement surface which is adapted to frictionally engage both a washer and the head of the mounting screw. All three of such surfaces are complementary. The outer portion of the other bore contains a plurality of surfaces, which surfaces abuttingly engage the outer surfaces of a threaded nut and substantially prevent the rotation of the nut within the bore outer portion.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a mounting assembly for a mobile communications antenna in which an antenna radiating element is held in place by a mounting screw which assembly permits the antenna radiating element to be pivoted between an upraised position and a down position without the need for loosening the antenna element mounting screw.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cellular antenna having an elongated antenna element held between two generally opposing sidewalls of a mounting assembly base member by way of a mounting screw-nut assembly, wherein the generally opposing sidewalls include a pair of sidewall bores, the sidewall bores having two distinct respective engagement surfaces which frictionally engage the ends of the mounting screw-nut assembly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an antenna mounting assembly having an antenna element mounted thereon by a mounting screw which extends between a pair of projecting walls, the mounting assembly permitting virtually unlimited pivotal movement of the antenna element between an upraised position and a down position such that repeated movement between the two positions does not loosen the antenna mounting screw, the pair of projecting walls including a pair of axially aligned bores having inner and outer bore portions, the inner bore portions allowing free rotation therein of the mounting screw, the outer bore portions engaging the mounting screw and prevent it from movement within said bore.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a kit of parts for use in assembling an exterior mobile telephone antenna in which an antenna element is pivotally held between two opposing sidewalls of a base member by means of an antenna mounting screw wherein the screw is substantially restrained from rotational movement when the antenna element is pivoted.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein in like reference numerals refer to like parts.